Upgrading America: Better, Faster, Cheaper Broadband and Energy

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Upgrading America: Better, Faster, Cheaper Broadband and Energy

Upgrading America: Better, Faster, Cheaper Broadband and Energy There is a way to create a rising standard of living for all Americans, Reed Hundt and Blair Levin argue in a soon-to-be-published e-book. The former Federal Communications Commission officials suggest policymakers should focus on two sectors-energy and broadband-to achieve economic growth. They write that as technologies become exponentially more cost-efficient over time, every sector of the economy will benefit from investments that make broadband and energy abundant. Titled Faster, Better, Cheaper: A User's Guide to Post-Election Politics, Hundt and Levin's e-book transcends the current political debate, which is limited to choices about how best to enact austerity measures, and focuses instead on the extraordinary opportunities for economic growth enabled by technological change. The authors describe how the president could use executive authority and negotiate with Congress before the "fiscal cliff" to build on the accomplishments of the Recovery Act and enact policies to spur private investors to pour trillions of dollars into transforming the two most important sectors of a 21st Century economy. Our other panelists will respond to their provocative analysis and discuss the policies needed to achieve the sort of politics of broadband and energy abundance that could stimulate economic growth and create widely shared opportunities for employment and prosperity. Featured Speakers Reed Hundt Principal, REH Advisors Former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (1993-1997) Blair Levin Founder, Gig.U Principal Author, Federal Communications Commission National Broadband Plan Mark Cooper Chief Economist, Consumer Federation of America Harold Furchtgott-Roth Senior Fellow, The Hudson Institute Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commision (1997-2001) Michael Calabrese Director, Wireless Future Project, Open Technology Institute, New America Foundation http://newamerica.net/events/2012/upgrading_america